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2/10/13

I've already confessed to being a Hip Hop Head. Don't hold it too much against me. I find inspiration from unusual places sometimes. I have loved rap music since my dad brought Kurtis Blow's single "The Breaks" home for us to listen to. There are some lessons that I've learned from it over the years that have helped me in life. Here are some more of my favorites. For those already standing in judgment, I can assure you that I have my ears and soul in high filter most all the time. Don't worry about me too much and, if you do, just pray...

1. "On the the next one!"~Jay Z

Whether you've experienced success or a moment of failure, living forward is the best approach to a successful life. When Paul speaks of pressing forward, he is not talking about leaving his mistakes behind. He is talking about leaving his successes behind and striving for God's best for him. Unintentionally, Jay Z was preaching.

2. "If you ain't got money, you better have hustle. Then when you get yo money, you can add some muscle." ~ 2 Chainz

Use what you have. Lack of money is NEVER an acceptable excuse when it comes to pursuing your purpose. If you can't go after it no matter the difficulties, perhaps you don't deserve it anyway. As Dr. Benjamin Carson said recently: "Don't accept excuses and don't offer any either. When you stop allowing excuses, people start looking for solutions." Use what you have at your disposal. When you get more, then use that, too.

3. “You know what it is. Everything I do, I do it big!” ~Wiz Khalifa

Wiz Khalifa... unfortunately appearing to be in a marijuana-induced haze 99% of the time... makes a great point. "Go BIG or go home!" is what they used to say. Indeed. There is something to be said for the way a certain amount of boastful confidence can move you forward in life.

4. "Now everybody loves Kanye. I'm almost Raymond."~Kanye West

You can't be swayed by the crowds. They are fickle. Even Jesus knew this. You have to be purpose-driven from beginning to end. One day people will hate you and the next they will love you and "they" will sometimes swing back and forth between the two. Stay focused and true to your calling regardless.

5. "You believe in God. But can you handle it when it's hard?" ~Juvenile

Whoever thought Juve would become a preacher?! This is a true word. Do you have faith that God's Word is true or not? It all comes down to that.

6. "I get my energy from my Inner G." ~Lupe Fiasco

I like Lupe. Lupe is authentic and seems to be transparent at all turns. True enthusiasm comes from the inside as spring welling up from your spirit as my pastor likes to talk about. It is a renewable resource and not dependent upon good circumstances. In fact, real energy must be independent of circumstances because you have to go back to it for strength when everything around you says you should give up. I believe you can only get that kind of energy from God.

7. “You gotta have style and learn to be original.” ~Boogie Down Productions

NOBODY pays attention to a copy. The world only hears unique voices. Echoes are neat side shows, but contain no new information so people don't pay much for them. It's funny. I was watching "Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap" and a recurring theme was how the first thing most acts had to do to succeed is find their own voice. MC Lyte, Salt, B-Real and others talked about spending hours just walking around their living rooms working on perfecting their voice. B-Real was told at one point "We like you, but you're fired if you can't sound like YOU instead of like somebody else!" He got the message.

What are you learning from what you're listening to? Wisdom is all around but all true wisdom comes from God's Word. I just like the way others package it at times.